For the love of Quidditch!
by Anna-Belikov-Fuller
Summary: What if Lily was the fourth marauder? Not the disgusting rat boy?
1. Chapter 1

**A.n.: I love Lily and James. They're my favorite!**

**(First Year)**

A tiny girl stood with her mother on platform nine and three quarters.

"Lily, honey, I love you, be good, have fun." The girl's mother said while crying.

"Thank you Mum. I love you too. I will be good. I love you." Lily hugged her Mother tightly, and looked up and down the platform, getting ready to board the train.

"I love you Lily," came a small voice, Petunia.

"I love you too."

"I'm sorry I said you were a freak, I didn't mean it!"

"Don't worry, I love you. You're my sister and my best friend." Lily was only eleven, but she was so compassionate, so loving. The girls clung to each other for another minute, and then Lily got on the train, and sat down in a compartment, alone. She pulled out _Hogwarts: A History_, and began re-reading it, quickly becoming enthralled. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, two boys about Lily's age walked in.

"Hi! I'm Sirius," said a boy with shaggy black hair and grey eyes.

"I'm James," said the boy standing next to him. His hair was messy, and jet black. His eyes were hazel, and hidden by the frames of his glasses. He looked up at her and smiled, blushing. James had fallen for Lily already.

"I'm Lily!" She said, hoping they could all be friends.

"We were wondering if we could sit with you? Everywhere else is full." Sirius was the one who spoke, looking at her with big Puppy Dog eyes.

"Sure!" Lily smiled. The boys sat down.

"Lily, what Quidditch team do you like?" Sirius asked.

"Quidditch?" Lily looked confused. "What's that?"

"Are you muggleborn Lily?"

"Yes. But, Snape said it didn't make a difference, he promised…"

"No, no," Sirius said quickly, "it doesn't, that's just the only explanation for you not knowing what Quidditch is." He smiled at her. "James, shall we educate our new friend on Quidditch?"

"Yeah Sirius, I think we should!" For the rest of the train ride, the boys explained to Lily the rules of Quidditch, and all about the teams and such. Lily asked questions, and she and the boys became fast friends.

That night, they were all sorted into Gryffindor, and alone with Sirius, James began to speak. "I'm going to marry Lily."

"Ya sure Mate?" Sirius asked.

"Positive."

"Wicked! You should ask her out, tomorrow."

"I think I will."

**(First Day of Classes ******** Common Room)**

Lily walked down the stairs in her uniform, looking radiant. She saw James and Sirius, and her face lit up, they waved her over, and she noticed there was another boy with them too. She learned his name was Remus, and he was quite shy. He had sandy brown hair, and warm brown eyes, but he looked tired, and wise beyond his years, almost as if he'd had to grow up too fast.

"Lily," James spoke, slowly and softly, "will you go out with me?"

Lily giggled, "No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"James!"

"Please?"

"No!" They continued on this way down to the Great Hall, and every other day of first year actually. It had turned into a game, really, it didn't bother Lily, and it didn't bother James. Their friendship remained unaffected.

**(One month and four days later)**

Remus, Lily, Sirius and James sat in the common room, talking and laughing, planning their next prank.

"Hey guys?" Remus asked.

"Yeah?" The other three chorused.

"I think we should have a name for ourselves, the four of us that is. I was thinking the Marauders?"

"Sounds great!" Lily said, enthused.

"Works for me." Sirius and James said at the same time. They all laughed.

"But why the Marauders?" Lily asked.

"Well," Remus said slowly, "it means friendship, and it might also have some ties to the word mischief in French…" He smiled.

"Wicked!" Lily said, "Wow, I've been hanging out with you three too long. Since when do I say wicked?"

"I like it," James said lightly.

"Of course _you _like it," Sirius laughed, and Remus joined in after a moment.

"Wait, what," Lily asked.

"Nothing, n-nothing, ignore them," James stuttered. He regained his confidence a few seconds later. "Evans, go out with me?"

"No, Potter," Lily giggled again.

**(Later******** fourth full moon of the school year)**

James, Sirius and Lily sat on the floor of the boys dorm room, discussing why Remus was leaving.

"Lily, you're insane, he's not a werewolf! His Mum is sick," Sirius exclaimed.

"Is she sick at the full moon? How can she be sick once a month, at the same time every month? And why does Remmy always come back tired?" Lily asked seriously.

"I agree with Lily, mostly. The only problem with your brilliant theory, is that Remus would have told us if he was a werewolf, think about it, we are the Marauders, we don't keep secrets!'

"James, if you were a werewolf, would you think people would accept you right away? Think about it, you can't even get a job without being hassled, maybe he thinks we wouldn't understand," Lily reasoned. "We have to talk to him before he leaves, Sirius, I promise if it turns out I was wrong, then I will buy you ten chocolate frogs okay? Just shut up!"

"Why are you so mean to me Lily, all I ever did was love you!"

"Again, Sirius, shut up!"

"Lily!!" Sirius whined.

"Silencio!" Lily said, Sirius opened his mouth furiously, and thankfully, nothing came out. "Now, lets go find Remmy."

The three children went to the library, finding Remus at his usual desk.

"Hey guys," he said looking at his friends.

"Remmy," Lily spoke, being soft spoken enough to speak in the library, "we have to go, because the four of us need to have a serious talk—no Sirius, I do not mean you!"

"What about?" Remus asked cautiously.

"Something very important."

"Well, okay, lets go."

Remus packed up his things slowly, almost anticipating what the talk would be about. His friends weren't stupid, and they were going to notice eventually that there was no possible way that his Mum was sick so often. The four Marauders walked in silence out of the castle, and out to a spot by the lake under a tree. When they were all seated, Lily spoke.

"Remmy, I have to ask you something, and if I'm wrong, please don't hate me forever." She smiled at him, a small smile that was truly pleading with him not to hate her.

"Of course Lily, I could never hate you." He smiled back, a warm, genuine smile, because the words were true, Lily was like a sister to him, he could never hate her, he would never want to.

"Remus, are you a werewolf?" Lily asked, her last word lower than the rest.

**(Hesitation of 26 seconds, but felt like hours)**

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Lily looked hurt, as did James and Sirius.

"I'm sorry, I knew this friendship couldn't last, I guess I'll see you guys around." Remus stood, and turned, about to leave for the castle.

"Wait! Why? Where are you going?! Remus," came the chorus from the three first-years.

"Remmy," Lily asked, "why are you leaving, and what do you mean our friendship won't last?"

"I know you won't be my friends anymore because of what I am." He said slowly.

"Rem. Buddy. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life." Sirius said casually.

"Yeah, we're friends, it's not your fault you're a werewolf, it happened to you, not because of you. We don't like you any less because of it." James put in sincerely.

"Remus, I love you like a brother, hell, I love you all that way. We would never ever stop being your friends, even if you killed unicorns for a living." Lily announced. They all shuddered, to kill a unicorn was horrible, disgusting, and no one present would ever commit such a crime. Remus spoke again, his voice low:

"So you guys don't hate me?"

A chorus of "No," and "Don't be thick," and "Of course not," assured him that he could keep his friends. He packed up and went home, to endure the full moon alone.

**(After Remus had left)**

"We have to find some way to help him," James said after a few minutes of silence.

"I know," Lily agreed.

"Library?" He asked her.

"Yeah, go grab Sirius, and the cloak, this is gonna take a while."

**(The library)**

The three Marauders sat in silence, reading through a mass amount of text books, and novels, and anything that might help. While Lily was looking through a transfiguration book, she noticed something, and although it was dangerous, Remus was their friend, and it was worth the risk.

"Guys, take a look at this," she showed the book to her friends, and at the same time, they understood.

"Wicked." They really do share a brain.

"So, when do we start?"

"Soon."

**(Remus is back at school)**

"Rem!" Lily shrieked. "We have good news!"

"Yeah?" He asked, one of his eyebrows arched. "And what would that be?"

"We found a way to help you, and your furry little problem," James said quietly.

"Yeah, we're going to become animagi!" Sirius said, excited.

"No."

"Rem—"

"No."

"But—"

"No, it's much too dangerous!"

"It's not exactly up to you," James said.

"Are you really going to do this?"

"Yes!" The other three shouted.

"Thank you." He smiled as a lump caught in his throat. He had the best friends in the world.

Over the next three months the Marauders spent all of their free time learning to become Anamagi. It was hard, and so far, Lily was the only one who could do it perfectly, every time. James and Sirius were close, but not done yet. Lily became a gorgeous Tiger, a small one, probably because she was so small, but beautiful, and fierce none the less. James became a stag, but sometimes he didn't get the hooves right, he needed to do some work. Sirius became a giant black dog, but he didn't always get the ears, but in a week, they were all ready for the full moon.

Every full moon after that one, the four of them wrestled and played, keeping Remus occupied, so that he wouldn't drive himself mad with loneliness. Remus was forever grateful.

**(Early June)**

"James?"

"Yeah Lily?"

"I want to try out for Quidditch next year with you and Sirius, will you teach me?"

"Sure!" James explained to Lily the rules, and what the four balls were. She saw the snitch last, and she liked it. I see you as a chaser, James had told her, so they tried that, and he was right. Lily was a natural, James was a good keeper, but she never missed a shot.

"Wow!" He said, "You're great, you'll definitely make the team next year!"

"Thanks James!"

**A.N.: As you can most likely tell, I hate Peter, he will not be in this story at all. Review please!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N.: Chapter two! I'm sorry this took so very long to write, but someone very close to me died recently, and I haven't been able to write. Enjoy!**

"Where is she?" James asked nervously.

"Calm down," Sirius replied. "You sound insane."

"Yeah," Remus added, "she'll be here, stop obsessing."

"Hey guys!" Lily said, hugging each boy in turn.

"Lily!" James said, relieved.

"I missed you!"

"You did?"

"Of course, being asked out isn't the same when it's on parchment." Lily laughed. Sirius and Remus raised their eyebrows.

"I'll explain later, can we go grab a compartment now? I don't want to end up sitting with Slytherins," Lily said, looking skieved out.

The boys laughed and followed her to a compartment in the back, the same one as the previous year.

"So, guys, what will our first prank be?" Lily asked.

"Jell-O instead of pumpkin juice?" Sirius asked, excited.

"No!" The other three shouted.

"Well," James said casually, "we could kidnap Mrs. Norris."

"That's bloody brilliant." Lily exclaimed.

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

"Let's do it!"

"I'm sure James would love that," Sirius muttered under his breath, but Lily heard him. She smiled.

"That reminds me..." She pulled up her bag, and dumped out an entire summer vacation's worth of letters, each of which had a clever way of saying "go out with me" on them.

Sirius picked them up one at a time, and began reading them out loud.

"Are your legs tired, because you've been running through my mind all day, want to hang out?"

"Did it hurt? When you fell from heaven that is, I'll make it all better, let's go out tonight."

"Evans, go out with me?"

"Oh wow, when God made you he was just showing off!"

"We'd make beautiful babies together!"

"Are you Jamacian, cause 'ja makin me crazy!"

"Where are your wings? Cause you must be an angel!"

"What's your sign?"

"I think you know a friend of mine."

"I forgot my phone number, wanna tell me yours?"

"I'm here, what are your other two wishes?"

"I lost my teddy bear, can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Was there an earthquake, or did you just rock my world?"

"I just realized this, you look a lot like my next girlfriend."

"Are you a speeding ticket? Cause you got fine written ALL over you."

"Slow down sugar, I'm a diabetic."

"Girl, I've got my library card, and I am checkin' you out!"

"I'm lost, can I come home with you tonight?"

"Okay! That's enough," James said, blushing. "Hey Lily?"

"Yeah?"

"How come you kept those?"

"I don't know," she answered seriously.

**(A week later)**

"Hey," Lily said. "James?"

"What's up Lily?" He asked.

"Nothing, I was wondering, do you want to go to Quidditch try-outs together?"

"Yeah! Sirius and Remus are trying out too, so we can all go together."

"Awesome."

**(Quidditch try-outs)**

"Okay!" Called the Quidditch Captain, "lets start out with beaters!" Sirius raced up to the pitch on his broom. An hour later he called for keepers, Remus tried out. Next, the Captain called for seekers and James tried out, the three boys waited for Lily while she tried out for chaser. The try-outs went really well, all four of them made the team.

**(Gryffindor Common Room. Three A.M.)**

"Okay," Remus said, "how do we get the cat?"

"Well," Lily answered, "I was thinking that James and Sirius could do something to Filch. Then Remus you cast the Silencio spell on Mrs. Norris, and then I grab her, and we run."

"Brilliant." Sirius smiled.

"See," James said, "My girlfriend is a genius." Lily giggled. "Lily! You are a genius."

"Maybe, but I'm not your girlfriend." She smiled at him.

**(The next day)**

"Ready James? Sirius?" Lily asked, they nodded. "Go!" The boys ran down the hallway, making noise and setting off sparks from their wands. Filch went running after them, and Remus hit Mrs. Norris with the "Silencio" spell. Lily cast the stunning spell, and grabbed the cat. James grabbed the invisibility cloak out of his bag, hiding Sirius and himself, and Filch ran past them. The four Marauders ran back to the Gryffindor common room. Throwing themselves down onto the floor, Lily spoke first:

"Wow, that was amazing, but, uh, what are we going to do with her?"

"Shave her?" Sirius asked.

"No!" Lily exclaimed, "that's animal cruelty."

"Lily's right," James said quickly, "we can't hurt her, but we could scare Filch, just a little bit."

Lily's eyes lit up, "how?"

"We put her in the Great Hall… stunned."

"Sounds good."

"You two are so boring!" Sirius cried.

"Are not!" Lily and James said together, James smiled, Lily blushed.

The next morning at breakfast, Mrs. Norris was in place, right in front of where Filch sat for meals. He walked in, saw the cat, and began sobbing uncontrollably, Lily caught it on tape with a video camera, or as James called it, the muggle toy that traps moments in time. The Marauders high-fived, Professor Dumbledore looked at them and smiled, he fixed Mrs. Norris and the day continued as normal.

**(Potions)**

Slughorn walked by the Marauder's table, smiling at Lily, then Remus, and then Sirius as he gave them their grades on the assignment from the day before. He gave James' back, and frowned, the slapped him in the back of the head.

"Mr. Potter," Slughorn said, "would you like a chance to make this up?"

"Yes, sir" James replied.

"Lily, would you please help James today at four o' clock? He'll be needing it, the extra credit will be amortentia, if you help him you won't have to come to class tomorrow." Slughorn smiled broadly. Lily looked at James, he mouthed 'please'.

"Of course, Professor." She smiled.

"Thank you Miss Evans," Slughorn winked at her.

**(Four o' clock)**

Lily stood over James' potion, doing the work easily, and telling James to shut up.

"Lily" James breathed out "it's my project, I feel bad that you won't let me do any of it."

"James," Lily said, sounding distracted, "you know very well that I don't mind doing it. And besides, Slughorn likes you, he wants your grade up, so he asked me to 'help you,' when really he was saying: 'Lily help your friend, do his work just this once.' I could have said no, but I didn't, so shut up and let me concentrate!"

"Okay" James sank back into his chair, until Lily started talking to him.

"James, smell this."

"Okay."

"What does it smell like?"

"Like the ocean, and flowers, and like lip gloss, and mint chocolate chip iced-cream. What do you smell?"

"Quidditch, it just smells like Quidditch." Slughorn came bustling in.

"Okay, time's up. Perfect potion, looks exactly right, smells exactly right! Excellent, well done, see you both in class the day after tomorrow."

"Wait," James interrupted, "I don't have to come tomorrow either?"

"No, let Miss Evans teach you some more potions, and study for the exam on Friday together."

"Thanks Professor," they called, leaving the dungeons.

**(The next day, during potions)**

"So, what do you want to do?" James asked Lily as they sat on the floor of the common room.

"We could study for the exam tomorrow." Lily said easily.

"Or, we could do something else…"

"Being?"

"We could play truth." James said, trying to look casual, he failed, miserably.

"No thank you."

"Lily!!" James whined.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Fine."

"Really?" James asked eagerly.

"Sure, fine, whatever!"

"Okay, first question: will you go out with me?"

"No!"

"Why?!"

"Its no longer your question!" Lily snapped. "Anyway, why do you ask me out everyday?"

"Because I love you."

"Fine. Your turn."

"Why won't you go out with me?"

"Because we're JUST friends James, really, why do you want something more? What makes me different from any other girl in this school?"

What makes you different is those eyes, and that hair, and that temper and the way you read all the time, and everything you do, James thought. "I don't know, you just are."

Okay, Lily thought, taking a breath, fine James, just freakin fine! "Well then, maybe I'm not so different, maybe you should leave me alone for a while now, okay James?"

James looked in Lily's eyes, and instead of the liquid emerald he usually saw shining, he saw a hard kind of green, not shiny, but not dull, firey, and he could tell Lily just wanted to be left alone. He gulped, "sure Lily, I'll wait." He smirked, and turned, leaving the common room. He counted to three, thinking Lily would come after him, but she didn't, so he walked back to the common room, and Lily looked up at him.

"Was that enough time?" He asked.

"Yes." She smiled slightly at him.

"It was your question."

"Uhm, what is your favorite book?" Lily asked.

"Pride and Prejudice" He answered automatically.

"Since when?" Lily shrieked.

"I don't know, since you started reading it all the time, and I felt left out of your conversations with Remus, so I read it, and actually liked it." He shrugged, trying to look non-chalant, once again, failing, miserably.

"Oh, well, uh, that's cool I guess." They continued on like this for a little while longer, and then they went to Transfiguration.

**(End of the year, Kings Cross Station)**

"Bye guys!" Lily screamed, hugging her best friends. She walked over to her sister, who hugged her, and waved shyly to the boys.

"So, James, are you going to write to Lily again?" Sirius asked.

"Duh!" James saw his parents, he turned to the other two boys, who were staying with James for a week, and yelled, "Race ya?" The boys took off through the station, knocking into various people they didn't know.

**A.N.: Okay, see the review button? Click it, and then tell me what you think. Thanks! Anna.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N.: Hey! So, this is Third Year! Bring it! I'm sorry this has taken me so long to update, please forgive me, and review?**

Platform 9 ¾ looked the same as ever, a gorgeous scarlet train was sitting in the station, waiting for all the passengers to board. A group of four teenagers, three boys and a girl, walked laughing toward the train. The boys were all tall for their ages, at least five foot seven, James, Sirius and Remus. The girl was shorter, five foot three at most, with fire-y red hair, she was Lily Evans.

"Lily, why won't you go out with me?" James whined.

"Because I don't want to, obviously." Lily said, still smiling.

"But I love you!"

"James, you most certainly do NOT love me, you're being a prat, now shut up!"

"Lily, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeaseee?!"

"James. Noooooooooooooooooo!"

"Okay, lovebirds, enough, please, thank you?" Sirius interrupted with a grin.

"I second that, let's just find a compartment, and _not_ talk about James's creepy love for Lily."

"My love for Lily is not creepy!" James cried indignantly.

"Yes it is!" chorused three other voices. James rolled his eyes, but followed his friends onto the train anyway. They sat in the same compartment where they met. To the next generation, this compartment would be known as "the Marauders cabin."

"So, who wants to play questions?" James sing-songed after five minutes of silence.

"Ooooooh! I do!" Sirius shrieked.

"I'll play." Remus smiled thoughtfully. After a moment James ventured:

"Lily?

"I hate you. But, yes, I'll play." She smiled, and watched James fidget fondly.

"You…hate me?"

"No." She thought for a moment. "That counts as your question, though! My turn! Hmmmmm, Sirius?"

"Yes, Flower?" Sirius smiled at the nick-name Lily hated so much.

"Have you ever snogged a girl?" Her eyes glittered, he would be embarrassed shortly.

"N-no."

"Remus, did you cast the truth spell?"

"Why, Lily," Remus said in mock surprise. "No, I didn't, I must have forgotten." He smiled, waving his wand and muttering a spell under his breath.

"Now, Sirius," Lily asked again, her tone playful, "have you ever snogged a girl?"

"Yes!"

"And who was it?"

"Bella's friend, Jessica," he blushed again.

"She's in Slytherin!" James cried. "Ewww," he made a face. "Anyway, though Sirius, your question."

"Alright!" Sirius clapped his hands together and smirked. "Remmy?"

"Mmmmmm?" Remus gulped visibly.

"If you could snog one girl for the rest of your life, who would it be?"

"Nymphadora."

"Who?"

"I-I don't know, that was the name that came to mind, I don't think I know anyone by that name. Maybe my spell was off…"

"That's odd, but it's your question anyway, Remmy."

"Right…James!"

"Bring it on!"

"Oooooh, I really shouldn't." Remus laughed.

"No! Remmy! You HAVE to!" Sirius whined.

"Well, all right then, James, have you ever snogged anyone?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'm waiting for Lily to realize she loves me." James threw his hands over his mouth. "Lily, I'm sorry."

"Th-that's okay." She smiled. "Can we not play this anymore?"

**(Common Room, really late the first night)**

"Lily?" James whisper shouted.

"What?" Lily said in her normal speaking voice.

"Do you love me yet?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you ask me stupid questions."

"Hey, guys?" Sirius, Remus and Lily looked at him. "Quidditch? Night Quidditch? Right now?"

"I will, but Lily and Remus most certainly won't." Sirius smirked at James.

"I will!" Remus said indignantly.

"Lily?" James teased, "will you come too, or are you too scared of being caught?"

"I-well, can't we just wait until morning?" Her voice shook a bit. Sirius barked out a laugh.

"Told you."

"Oh, sod off Sirius, fine, I'll go."

"Good, Lily, get your broom, meet us in our dorm in five minutes." James said.

"Done."

**(Five minutes later)**

"Hey guys!" Lily whisper-yelled.

"Okay," James started, "here's the plan: Lily and I are a team. We're flying out of this window, and we play to ten. Any questions?" Remus had a mocking tone to his voice.

"And, why, oh why, are _you_ partnered with Lily?" Remus smirked.

"I'm the tallest and she's the shortest, it's to even out the game." They all laughed.

"Mate, I'm an inch taller than you are, maybe I should be on Lily's team." Sirius said seriously.

"Oi! Boys! Can we play, or are we all going to tease James for another year?" She smiled at James, and holding her broomstick in her right hand, jumped out the window, the boys rushed over to see what happened, and she waved to them, hovering few inches below the window sill, sitting, completely relaxed, on her broom. As Sirius, Remus and James followed her out the window, the game started immediately, James and Lily coming out victorious.

"Yes!" Lily said, punching the air with her fist, and slapping James a high- five.

"Potter, Evans, Black, Lupin. My office, if you please." Professor McGonagall said, foot tapping.

"Yes Professor," mumbled the four students in unison. Behind the professor, James, Sirius, Remus and Lily were smiling at each other, nudging each other in the ribs. When the five reached the Professor's office, she turned to face them, unsmiling.

"What is the meaning of this? Do you four know how dangerous it is to be outside the castle at night?" Not receiving an answer, she asked more loudly, "Well? Do you?"

"Yes professor," chorused the four voices.

"Well, then," Professor McGonagall said, a glint of happiness in her eyes, "I think you've learned your lesson, off to bed, all of you."

"Yes, Professor." As they hurried down the corridor, Sirius was the first to speak.

"That was bloody brilliant."

"Wicked." James and Lily both said. They looked at each other and laughed. Sirius and Remus rolled their eyes, they were SO meant to be together, and Lily was the only one who didn't know it. As they reached the common room they all mumbled their good nights, suddenly exhausted.

"G'night James," Lily said, waving to the other two.

"Good night Lily, "James whispered after she had already disappeared up the girl's stair case.

"James, mate, are you coming?" Sirius asked. Startled from his trance, James shook himself briefly.

"Y-yeah, I'm coming." The three boys walked up the stairs, and James lay in his bed, dreaming of Lily.

**(James's dream)**

The scene was a pretty little house, yellow, with white shutters, and a beautiful mahogany door. The house was even more beautiful because Lily stood outside, dressed in a green sundress and a white apron. She smiled happily from the doorway holding a baby in her arms. As he walked closer, he could see the emerald shininess of Lily's eyes, and the glorious shimmer of her gently waving red hair. He leaned toward her, kissing her perfect pink lips. He took the baby from her arms, spinning him round in a circle, cooing to him. Lily leaned against the door frame, her eyes gentle, fondness for the two people in front of her emanating from her skin.

"James," she said, her voice like melting honey, "dinner's on the table, and Harry needs a nap."

"Oh, fine! Spoil sport!"

"Oh, hush up, you," she replied laughing, smacking him in the head and taking Harry from his arms. She too spun the boy in a circle before attacking him with kisses, tickling him, and laughing at his delighted little giggles. She walked down a hallway, but shortly reappeared, shutting the door noiselessly. She nearly skipped to the table to sit across from James, she smiled, waving her wand causing trays to fly into the dining room and set themselves on the table.

"Mmmmmmm," James said, "that smells amazing."

"Thank you, sweetheart, it was my mother's recipe." She smiled that smile again, and then, with crack, Sirius apparated into the room.

"Ooops! Sorry to interrupt, should I have called first?" He looked sheepish, but Lily jumped up and hugged him.

"Don't be silly! Come in, let me grab you a plate!" She bustled into the kitchen. Returning with a plate, which she handed it to him.

"Thank you Lily, wow, this smells good."

"Thank you Sirius, I made it from scratch!"

"Wow! I forget how talented you are in the kitchen, Lily! Oh! Speaking of talent, where is my brilliant, handsome godson?" Lily frowned at him.

"He's napping! Sirius, I know you can't see him as often as you'd like, what with work, and everything, but, you can't just come in and disrupt his nap! I mean it Sirius!" Sirius smirked.

"Maybe after dinner?" He gave her puppy-dog eyes.

"No!"

"Please?"

"No!" Sirius looked at James, and they said together:

"Please?"

"Oh, fine!" She smiled at the two of them, shaking her head.

"Wicked!"

While James was dreaming, so was a certain redhead.

**(Lily's dream)**

Lily's dream scene consisted of a large gray house, with a large yard. There were children running through this yard, playing a sort of tag where someone became "it" if they were hit with a snowball. A small boy with black, untidy hair ran around happily laughing and giggling. Following him like a puppy was a smaller version of the boy, and a smaller girl. The girl did not look at all like either of the two boys, but instead she had beautiful, red hair, waving down her back, and her cheeks were flushed a pretty, rosy, pink, her mouth was open as she shouted for her brothers to play fair. The taller, older boy, ran to her, apologizing, and lifting her into the air, he spun her around, and then collapsed into the snow. The three children laughed and laughed, and were soon joined by seven red-headed children, all wearing sweaters with their initials on them.

Inside the beautiful gray house, there was a small gathering of adults going on. The Marauders sat, Lily and James occupying one chair, and Remus and Sirius sitting on the couch. Molly and Arthur Weasley, who Lily consciously recognized them from Prefect's meetings, were sitting, smiling on two chairs near the couch. Arthur was telling an amusing story about his job at the ministry, working with muggle items. Lily understood perfectly, but James and Sirius were confounded, this made them all laugh harder. The home looked warm, and open, this Christmas eve delightful. Lily stopped laughing long enough to get a quick word to James.

"James, sweetheart?" Lily said into James's ear.

"Yes, Lily, love?" he asked.

"Could you come into the kitchen for a minute?" She smiled.

"Why, Lily, whatever for?" He asked her in a tone of mock concern.

"I-uhm, need help finishing dessert? " She smiled weakly.

"Uh-huh. I'm so sure." They got up and walked into the kitchen, Lily closed the door. She walked up to him and threw her arms around his neck. She kissed him with a passion too hot for young children see.

"I love you so much, James Potter."

"I love you too, Lily." And then, a small boy ran into the kitchen, the older of the two black haired boys who had been running around outside.

"Mommy! Daddy!" His parents smiled down at him, "Uncle Sirius said that I should come say hi to you. So, hi!" His father chuckled, detaching himself from his beautiful wife.

"Oh, did he now?" The small boy nodded fervently. "Well, you should go tell him ALL about how you learned to fly the other day, okay?" The two slapped five, and James walked back to Lily, pinning her against the kitchen counter. His hands moved over her body, heating the skin, and then, just as he was about to kiss the spot below Lily's ear that made her squirm, she woke up.

"God! How am I going to look him in the eye tomorrow?" She said quietly.

**(Next morning, Great Hall)**

Lily and James sat across from each other, Remus next to James, Sirius next to Lily.

"So," James was saying animatedly, looking up now and again from a letter from his father, "apparently, there's a game at the end of August, and my Dad got four tickets! We can all go see the Chuddley Cannons play! And because it's at the very end of August, the twenty-seventh, you lot can stay at my house and we can all go to King's Cross Station together!"

Sirius and Remus were excited, the three boys were smiling, exchanging high-fives, and all Lily could think of was James, and the dream she'd had about him last night. She realized with a shock that the picture he'd sent her over the summer was of him and Sirius and Remus, outside his house, which was gray, and she's dreamed about it last night. She was afraid that sleeping in that house, being in such close proximity to James, she might just explode.

"Lily? Lily!" James's voice snapped her out of her trance.

"Yes?" she asked, fake smile on her face.

"What do you think?"

"About….?"

"The Quidditch match…in August, four day sleepover?"

"I-I have to go study for…potions, big test next hour, going to the library, bye!" She leaped up from her chair, hurrying to the exit, behind her, she heard James call after her:

"We don't even have potions today!"

**(Library)**

Lily Evans sat, chewing her finger nails, and twisting her hair. She was looking at a book, but her eyes weren't moving, to any random person, it may have looked like Lily was studying for a very difficult exam that she was nervous about, to James Potter, Lily's best friend, it looked like she was going to cry, and it looked like she needed to talk, and it looked like she would make an excuse as soon as he sat down for needing to leave. He took a deep breath, and walked toward her.

"Lily." His tone said everything, one word that escaped his perfect lips told Lily everything that he would say during this conversation. 'Lily' in _that_ tone, meant 'Lily, we're going to talk about my creepy love for you again.' She shivered with a feeling she didn't understand, was it, happiness? Did she want to talk about _this_, with _James_, _right now_?

"James." Her tone said nothing, his face fell a little, he was hoping for some kind of sign that she wanted to talk, but she wasn't giving him anything.

"You ran away from me."

"I didn't!"

"You did," he snatched the book she wasn't really reading from her. "Lily, we don't have potions today, we don't have a test in potions for a week, and the test we do have, is a quiz, on amortentia, you've already made that! And this," he waved the book at her, "isn't even your potions book!" his tone became soft, gentle, reassuring," Why did you run away from me?"

"I freaked out about" she stopped short, she couldn't tell James about her dream, "something." She finished lamely.

"Something?" He raised his eyebrows. "Lily, we're best friends, talk to me!" She gulped.

"I had a dream about you-us, last night, and I was freaking out, and it was in your house, which I realized after you mentioned staying at your house for four days, and that freaked me out, and I panicked and I needed time to think, and studying was the best excuse I had!"

"Oh, I understand, you love me!" He smiled, reaching across the table to grab her hand. She pulled away as if his hand had burned hers, which it did, the electricity flowing between them was tangible, but she wouldn't say that out loud.

"I don't love you! Why do you tell me we can talk if you're just going to make fun of me?"

"Lily," James's voice was soft, "I'm sorry, we can talk, I got excited, please stay?"

"Fine."

"So, do you still want to come to the match? I mean, you love watching the Cannons lose…and I'll keep away from you, if you stay over."

"James, you don't have to 'keep away from me,' I just don't want t feel weird."

"It won't be weird, I promise!"

"Well, okay, I guess," she giggled nervously, "Go Cannons!"

"Wooh!" James yelled.

"Shhhhh!" Madame Pince whisper-screamed from her post at her desk, James and Lily giggled, packing up Lily's books and leaving.

**(August 27****th****)**

The Marauders sat in box-seats at the Chuddley Cannons game, Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, from left to right.

Nothing incredibly interesting happened during the match, although James did try to flirt with Lily, and to Sirius and Remus's amusement, he was denied.

After the first goal, James put his arm around Lily's shoulders, she shrugged him off with a simple: "James, please."

Right before the snitch was caught, he grabbed her hand and squeezed, she detached herself with a quiet: "Leave me be, James."

**(Sleepover)**

"Lily, wanna play spin the bottle?"

"No, James, I'm the only girl, and as much as I want to see you and Sirius make out, no thanks." She giggled.

"Do you want to see us make out? Because we'll do it." Sirius chimed in from his sleeping bag.

"We most certainly will not!" James shouted.

**A.N.: Thanks for reading.**


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